Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1887-05-05
A RESPONSIBLE POSITION.
The Important Part Train Dispatchers Play
In the Rapid and Safe Movement of Pasen-
GERS.

The Important Part Train Dispatchers Play
In the Rapid and Safe Movement of Pasen-
gers.
Philadephia Times
The travelling public has long been
woat to bestow approval upon railway
engineers for the self-sacrifcing spirit
which they exhibit when the lives intrust-
ed to their care are endangered, and in
the annals of the rail these occurrences
are so frequent that passengers generally
picture the man at the throttle of the
locomotive as hero by virtue of his
position. These opinions are deservedly
held, and it would be the grossest in
justice to detract from the honor which
self-abnegat1on always merits; but there
is class of railway employees, almost
entirely unknown to passengers, whose
responsibility is so much greater, and
whose slightest omission might ieopar-
die the lives of people on trains more
than any oversight on the part of con-
ductors Or engineers, that it is indeed
strange that they are so seldom men,
toned in the public prints.
This class is the train dispatches, whose
every order is implicitly obeyed by train
men; and while the crew of one train is
responsible for the movement of that
train alone, the dispatcher holds in his
hands the lives of every individual on
every train on the road and on road
having large traffic the duties imposed
on him are very great and arduous.
His position In the railway service is
unique; were all trains running on time
and provided for on the periodical time
table issued by the company, he would
have no duties to perform; but trains will
get delayed and occasions will arise re-
curing extra trains, or trains without
any specified time or rights, TO be run
over the road, and then his services are
necessary to avoid hours of delay.
All trains on railroads are divided into
classes, according to their Importance;
generally two, passenger and freight;
and all trains of one class running in a
specified direction have the right to the
same or lower class running in the
opposite direction. Thus it is assumed
that on certain railroad trains running
eastward have the right of way over trains
running westward; then an east-bound
passenger train can run the whole length
of the road in entire disregard of all
trains; another passenger train going
west need only look out for the east bound
passenger train, while the freight trains
must keep out of the way of both passen
ger trains and of the freight train which
is running in the direction prescribed as
having the right of road.
Everyone understands that all trains
are chartered, or have time given for
passing each station, which time in no
instance be anticipated, and hence all
trainmen know where all other trains
ought to be at any particular moment if
on time. But as trains frequently and
generally get late, the train of inferior
class must have its movement expedited
by some extraneous cause or it may be
delayed for hours awaiting a train that
may have been wrecked or has been kept
back for some other of many causes.
Then the duties of the train-d dispatcher
are of Importance. He will probably
give an order to the delayed train by tel
egraph directing it to COON certain
place which he thinks it can reach with
out difficulty, and he directs the opposing
train to proceed to the same place and
there pass the other train, and in that
manner the trains are enabled to pass
each other without any delay to either.
His great responsibility consists in that
he may have a dozen other trains in his
charge at the same time, and in directing
one train to go beyond its usual place to
meet another he may neglect to give an
order to the second train, and in such an
event a collision would probably ensue,
much property be destroyed, and proba
bly, lives be lost.
It will readily be seen that the slightest
mistake of a train dispatcher might cause
serious result; and in this respect his
responsibility is probably greater than
that of any other individual under whose
charge the public are placed. A pilot on
a vessel may lose his reckoning but the
fact soon becomes apparent to others,
and his capacity for mischief is thereby
lessened; other railway employees may
neglect their duties, and rush headlong
into danger, bnt their associates general
ly realize the danger before any unfor-
tunate result ensue; bat the slightest be-
hest of train dispatcher must be oSeyed
without question, even though to do SO
would ieopardize the lives of those re-
ceiving the orders--though, of course,
until an accident results the train men
are ignorant of the fact that they have
been given wrong directions.
Instances or oversight of dispatchers
are extremity rare-much less than Of
neglect of conductors and engineers to
the order given to then-and while they
preform there onerous duties almost en-
tirly unknown to the people whose lives
they heve in control, and therefore never
receive the need of praise due him,
travellers ought at least be made aquain
ted with their duties and the important
part they play in the rapid and safe
urOyeU ent of passengers,